


Anniversary

by Nospringonions



Category: Hakuouki
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-22
Updated: 2019-02-22
Packaged: 2019-11-03 21:40:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17885693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nospringonions/pseuds/Nospringonions
Summary: Written for Okitober 2018, OkiChi Week on Tumblr.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okita Route, Good End.  
> (Warning: implied death/ intention of suicide).

(Trigger warning)

“Hmm… Chizuru,” Souji mumbled in his sleep. He turned over in the futon, his hand touching the empty space beside him.

“Where is she?” He yawned aloud and stretched his body lazily. They went to bed very late last night, but Chizuru still managed to wake up early as usual, no doubt doing all the household chores again.

Letting out another huge yawn, Souji forced himself awake and got dressed. He wanted Chizuru to have a relaxing day on their second wedding anniversary especially because on their first one last year, he had fallen sick with a sudden fever that had lasted a few days and scared her greatly.

“Good morning, Chizuru. Do you need my help with anything?” Souji offered, poking his head into the kitchen.

Chizuru was not inside, but the place was already filled with the delicious smell of her cooking.  
Fish and vegetables were already arranged in plates, but the stew cooking on the stove was bubbling and spilling out of its pot.

Souji hurried over to inspect it, and called out, “Chizuru, the stew is ready! I’m taking it off the fire!”  
He crouched down to extinguish the burning fire and noticed a lot of ash scattered on the floor around the stove. He was going to sweep it away when he saw a broken sake bottle nearby, and thought that it was rather odd for Chizuru to have left a mess in the kitchen.

He decided to find her in the courtyard, but found the empty place had been swept clean, and there were rows of laundry already hanging neatly. She must have woken up very early today to have done all the tasks.  
He wondered what other chores could she be busy with as he made his way around the house to look for her. They needed to have a talk about her overworking issue.

\---

Where was she?

He had been searching with increasing panic everywhere around the house, opening and closing every door, but there was no sign of her at all. It felt as though she had disappeared into thin air.

“Where are you, Chizuru? This isn’t fun, please come out wherever you are,” Souji called out with resignation.

But again, there was only silence.

Where could she be? Did she go out?

No, she would never have gone anywhere without telling him first.

Souji forced himself to calm down, and decided to go back to the kitchen since it should be the last place she was in before she disappeared, and the mess did not seem right to him.

“Chizuru!” He called while opening the door, and imagining her to be in there by now. But it was still the same empty kitchen.

He wiped the sweat off his forehead as he knelt down to inspect the broken sake bottle on the floor, then proceeded to throw it away after finding nothing suspicious. He looked around the kitchen again to see if there was anything out of place, and his eyes fell on the ash scattered on the floor by the stove.

At first look, it appeared like normal ash from the burning woods. But now alarm bells were ringing in his head as the vision of furies disintegrating into piles of ash flashed in his memory.

No, it can’t be… Don’t scare yourself.

Time seemed to have slowed into a standstill as he nervously approach and extended a trembling hand towards the pile of ash.  
It looked and felt like normal ash, but his tired mind was already running wild and making a horrible connection between it and the unexplained disappearance of his wife.

“Chi…zuru?” Souji called out at the ashes smeared on his fingers.

No, it’s impossible! Don’t be ridiculous!

He shook his head violently, trying to deny and stop the terrifying thought that had quickly taken over his mind.

This can’t be true!

The both of them had believed that they were fully cured of the fury curse. But could it be that they had been naively mistaken?  
Had her oni blood reacted differently to the ochimizu unlike his own human blood?  
Or could it be that Chizuru was just simply too tired from overworking? Afterall, she did almost all of the household chores, took great care of him, and constantly worry over his health.

He should have known that all these daily stresses would have taken a toll on her own wellbeing. Looking back, he should have been more insistent in getting her to rest more. He should have taken better care of his own wife!

Souji had always been certain that due to his terminal illness, he would be the first to go. What an irony that in the end it was him who outlived Chizuru.

But it was not just her that he had outlived. Everyone he cared about ended up leaving him: his parents, his sister, Kondou-san, his comrades, and then now Chizuru too. Was it something about him that made them all go away?

Nothing was making sense anymore. Feeling all the energy in his body completely drained, and his spirit totally crushed, Souji collapsed on the floor. Tears rolled down his weary face. The anger and indignation that had so fast consumed him earlier had just as quickly evaporated. He only felt so broken now; entirely alone, deflated, and defeated.

He gathered the scattered ashes into a pile, and took out the hairpin that he had specially handmade for her surprise gift, and gently laid it down.

“You’ll always be the prettiest in my eyes, Chizuru. I would have made you more hairpins, but it’s too late. We’ve run out of time,” he whispered, tears stinging his eyes.

She had meant everything to him, and he was never interested in living a life without her.

His teary eyes still fixed on the pile of ash, he declared in a trance, “I won’t let you go alone on your last journey.”

Souji then grabbed a nearby kitchen knife; its blade was well-maintained and should be sharp enough for a single quick strike. He neither have the energy nor the time to go retrieve his own sword.

He closed his eyes and whispered hoarsely, “wait for me, Chizuru.”


	2. Chapter 2

He had never seen her so angry before.

Throughout all the many years he had known her, she had always been so gentle and accommodating. Yes, she was stubborn, but she had never actually raised her voice at him before.

But it was different this time.

“What did you think you were doing?” She had shrieked.  
Her usually gentle hands were gripping his arms painfully, and her embrace was more crushing than tender.

“I thought I’ve lost you!” He had cried out.

And she had apologised through her tears. She thought he had heard her when she told him she was going out.  
“How could you? I would never forgive myself if something bad happened to you because of me!” She had berated him as she continued to cry in anguish.

It was the first time that he had actually felt a little scared of her. But he knew he deserved it; he had hurt her and broken her heart with his senseless action.

“I’m never getting you a surprise again! This is the first and the last!” She had declared heatedly as she shoved the newly purchased sake bottle into his hands.

And he had laughed mirthlessly. He had played countless tricks on others, and to think that an innocent surprise had almost costed him his life. What irony.

After the dust had settled and the tears dried, they had hugged and apologised to each other. The realization that they had come so close to losing one another sent cold shivers down their spines. And so they had clung to each other, desperate to feel and preserve one another’s warmth.

Day and night had melded together as they both melted into one. Everything else had become insignificant and left forgotten. The only thing that mattered was the rapid beatings of their hearts.

Days and months passed by in a blur, and the next thing they knew, he had started to feel unwell again. He got up every morning feeling queasy and woke up at night with leg cramps. His back ached and he craved the usually hated green onions badly.

“I must be dying. I’m sorry, Chizuru,” he had cried dramatically.

And to his shock and utter disbelief, she had laughed at him.

“No, you’re just pregnant, Souji-san,” she had chuckled giddily.

He had balked at her unfunny joke. This was no laughing matter. But laugh was what she had continued to do.

“We’re pregnant, Souji-san!” She had squealed in happiness and giggled at his dumbfounded face.

But how could it be? Was she mistaken? How could it be that he was the one experiencing all the symptoms instead of her?

He did not believe it, dared not believe it, in case it turned out to be just an empty promise of happiness.

“There was one similar case like ours written in my father’s notes. And I’ve confirmed with another doctor that I’m with child,” she had explained and assured him.

Could he believe it to be real now? Could he start feeling happy and be overjoyed?

“It’s definitely a little Souji. He’s already playing tricks on his father even before he’s born!” She had laughed with such unbridled joy.

And he started to believe as he began to grin, and finally laughed out loud with her.


End file.
